Chapter 67 p1
As they talked, Shi Nuo suddenly remembered something. “Oh, Wu Wu also has the white fire,” he said.
Hugh, placing a refrigerated container on the table, paused, his expression turning serious.
The white fire had first manifested during his own painful transformation, his genes constantly being disrupted and rearranged, and he wasn’t sure if it would negatively affect Wu Wu.
“It only happened once. I scanned him, and he’s perfectly healthy,” Shi Nuo reassured him.
He continued, recalling the incident, “There was a leopard hiding in the grass. After the robot scared it away, I was playing with Wu Wu, and he suddenly…spat out a burst of flames. A few days later, he shifted into his human form.”
Hugh walked over, examined Wu Wu’s eyes, and sniffed him, confirming the cub was indeed healthy.
“We’ll have him thoroughly examined when we get back,” he said, relieved.
“Mm,” Shi Nuo nodded. “I’ve been monitoring him. He’s eating and sleeping well. No problems so far.”
Wu Wu, understanding they were talking about him, its angry expression shifting to confusion, was about to protest Hugh’s close proximity when it saw a white flame ignite in the Alpha’s hand.
Its attention completely captured, it twitched its nose, as if trying to identify the scent.
Hugh took Wu Wu’s hand and let the flame flow onto its small, chubby palm.
The white flame flickered and danced, and Wu Wu, its gaze fixed on it, even when held securely in Hugh’s arms, didn’t look away, its large, dark eyes blinking curiously.
Hugh kissed the cub’s head, then looked up at Shi Nuo. “I brought you some desserts. I had some at a celebratory dinner, and they were quite good, so I had them buy some before I left.”
“Before you left?” Shi Nuo caught the subtle implication.
“Yes,” Hugh replied. “I used a few jump points. It was faster. But with Wu Wu, we’ll take the regular route back.”
Shi Nuo knew he must have rushed back, not expecting him to be so eager.
Using jump points was expensive, and the rapid transitions through space, even within a starship and wearing a pressure suit, were uncomfortable.
Shi Nuo didn’t comment, simply hugging Hugh gently, careful not to squeeze Wu Wu.
He released Hugh and opened the refrigerated container.
The six small cakes inside were slightly misshapen from the journey. Hugh frowned. “I was in a hurry to get back and didn’t think about that. I’ll take you to the restaurant when we return. And if there’s time, I’ll have them give us the recipe. I can make them for you.”
“It’s alright. They’re still in their boxes,” Shi Nuo said cheerfully, not minding the slightly damaged cakes, and took one out to eat.
Wu Wu, its ears perked up at the sound, looked up, saw the dessert, and its small hand, which had been glowing faintly, clenched, the white light disappearing. It opened its hand again, the faint glow returning, and tilted its head, as if puzzled.
Hugh smiled. Wu Wu could control the white fire, but it was still too young, its ability undeveloped.
The cub, its nose twitching at the sweet aroma, squirmed in Hugh’s arms, trying to reach Shi Nuo. “Eat! Eat!”
Shi Nuo gave it a small bite. “That’s the word you say best,” he chuckled.
In addition to desserts and snacks, Hugh had also brought new clothes and toys for Wu Wu.
When the gifts were presented, Wu Wu, no longer ignoring him, giggled and clapped its hands, delighted.
The household robot, having prepared a salad and stir-fried vegetables and mushrooms, emerged from the kitchen to ask if they were ready for lunch.
A plate of fried chicken nuggets and drumsticks, still warm, and a bowl of boiled shrimp with dipping sauce, completed the meal.
Wu Wu, sitting in its high chair, holding a small bowl, eagerly waited for its papa to serve it food.
The three of them sat together, enjoying a leisurely meal, a rare occurrence, and despite the usual quiet at the table, Shi Nuo was happy, his earlier anxieties and worries forgotten.
Six months later.
The Elvis Estate.
Shi Nuo sat in the glass-enclosed greenhouse, reading a book, a cup of hot tea beside him, his attention completely absorbed in the story.
The greenhouse was large and spacious, the winter sun streaming in through the glass, warming the room.
The snow on Imperial Star wasn’t as heavy as on their planet, a thin layer covering the lawn, melting quickly in the sunlight.
He sat alone in a corner, enjoying his rare moment of peace and quiet.
Outside, in the garden, the three-meter-tall white wolf was chasing a small wolf cub.
The giant wolf’s presence was intimidating.
The small, white cub, sensing the danger, but not afraid, its dark eyes bright with excitement, let out a playful yelp and tried to escape, using the trees and bushes for cover, but it was quickly caught and pinned down by the larger wolf.
“Awoo!” Wu Wu yelped, pretending to be hurt.
Shi Nuo heard it but didn’t look up, turning the page of his book.
Wu Wu was two years old now, his vocabulary expanding rapidly, having also learned to shift into his wolf cub form. He was incredibly mischievous, and his recent attempts at learning to hunt with Hugh often ended in tears, a daily occurrence that Shi Nuo had grown accustomed to.
With no one to rescue it, the cub, pinned beneath its father’s paw, struggled and whined, trying to bite the large wolf’s leg.
However, the white wolf’s fur was thicker than its own, and its baby teeth couldn’t penetrate it, only grabbing a mouthful of fluff.
The white wolf, its eyes narrowed, its expression cold and handsome, lifted its paw, releasing the cub.
Wu Wu immediately scrambled to its feet, its fur covered in dirt, its legs, thicker and stronger now, looking sturdy.
It had grown considerably larger but was still clearly a cub, its chubby body still carrying its baby fat.
“Woo—” Wu Wu growled at Hugh, then, seeing the dirt on its white fur, its lower lip trembling, it started to cry, rolling around on the ground, its whimpers echoing through the garden.
The white wolf, its ears flattening slightly, a sign of guilt at having made its son cry, glanced at the greenhouse, relieved to see that Shi Nuo hadn’t noticed. It quickly picked up the cub, its massive body surprisingly gentle, and carried it inside, placing it in the large bathtub for a bath.
Half an hour later, Shi Nuo closed his book and was about to stand up when the greenhouse door opened, and Hugh Elvis entered, carrying the clean and fluffy white wolf cub.
“So handsome! Whose beautiful baby is this?” Shi Nuo chuckled, taking the now considerably heavier cub from Hugh and kissing its head repeatedly.
Wu Wu, freshly bathed, its fur white and fluffy again, no longer angry with its father, giggled and wagged its tail, enjoying its papa’s praise.
A flash of white light, and the wolf cub transformed into a white-haired toddler.
Wu Wu, one arm around Shi Nuo’s neck, the other patting his cheek, its small hand warm against his skin, said, its voice a childish babble, “Papa, Wu Wu strong.”
“Awoo—”
“Chase Papa.”
Its words were still unclear, its pronunciation uncertain, but it waved its arms excitedly, demonstrating its earlier pursuit of the large wolf.
As for its own less-than-graceful retreat when chased by the wolf, it conveniently omitted that part of the story.
“Oh my, so strong! Wu Wu runs so fast, even faster than Papa!” Shi Nuo said, feigning surprise.
Wu Wu, pleased with its papa’s praise, giggled and preened.
Hugh, having finished Shi Nuo’s tea and refilled his cup, listened to his son’s proud pronouncements and chuckled, not bothering to correct him. Wu Wu hadn’t lied; it had actually managed to outrun him once.
Shi Nuo kissed the toddler’s chubby cheek, about to offer more praise, when his optical brain chimed, a new message notification.
He opened it. It was from his father, Shi Kang, the head of the Shi family, inviting him and Wu Wu for lunch the day after tomorrow, a family gathering.
This wasn’t the first time.
Since their return six months ago, after Wu Wu’s existence, and his position as the second heir to the Elvis family, had been publicly announced, the Shi family had been trying to reconnect, playing the family card.
Arnold Elvis hadn’t retired yet, and Hugh was the first heir, so Wu Wu was second in line.
Initially, concerned about security, and with Wu Wu still adjusting to his new surroundings, Hugh had declined the invitations, keeping Shi Nuo and Wu Wu mostly within the confines of the estate.
The estate was large and well-equipped, with gardens, forests, orchards, and anything else they could possibly want, all their needs met, a stark contrast to their previous life on the primitive planet.
But it had been six months now, and it seemed…appropriate to visit his family.
Shi Nuo looked at the message, hesitant. His mother had also sent him several messages recently, saying she missed him.
He had an older brother, an older sister, and a younger sister. Even in a large family, a mother’s love wasn’t always equally distributed, and his father’s illegitimate son, brought into the family later, had further complicated the dynamics.
His feelings towards the Shi family were complex. Regardless of his relationship with Hugh, they had abandoned him once.
Seeing his hesitation, Hugh, after a moment of thought, didn’t object. “I have an important meeting the day after tomorrow. I can’t go with you. But if you want to visit your family, I’ll have Fang Yu arrange security. And if you don’t want to go, you can simply refuse. Don’t worry about it.”
“Okay,” Shi Nuo nodded. He knew Hugh was busy and had already postponed several meetings to spend time with him and Wu Wu in the past ten days.
Wu Wu kissed Shi Nuo’s cheek, leaving a wet spot, then, grabbing his face with its chubby little hands, said seriously, “Papa, Wu Wu chase again.”
Shi Nuo closed his optical brain, a smile spreading across his face. “Papa will chase with Wu Wu.”
Hugh, sensing an opportunity, quickly left the greenhouse.
Shi Nuo, carrying Wu Wu, chased after him, the toddler’s excited shrieks and giggles echoing through the garden.
